Blackadder

British history as we know it is a cluttered patchwork of questionable stories which have been re-written, re-evaluated and ridiculed, and yet there is still an unquestioned narrative thread which runs through the nation's historical record, accepted as fact. But final editorial control has always belonged to the winners. And nobody likes winners...

The True History Of The Black Adder is the very first in-depth examination of the creation of a British institution like no other - arguably the greatest sitcom of all time - not to mention the first historical investigation into the lives of the Blackadder family, one of the nation's most vilified dynasties.

Using existing archive footage and rare literature, plus new revelations from personal interviews with the makers including John Lloyd, Tony Robinson, Richard Curtis, Ben Elton, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed and many more, J. F. Roberts relates the full scope of the tale of how the 70s alumni of three great universities - Oxford, Cambridge and not Hull, but Manchester - discovered a unique chemistry that would see them build a timeless comic masterpiece.

At last Blackadder enthusiasts can now uncover THE cunning plan, in all its hideous hilarity.

First published: Thursday 11th October 2012